Death Extemporary
by keL-rebecca
Summary: Omi dies. The Weiss members grieve over his death, especially Ken, the one who loved him so. He doesn't want to believe that Omi's gone, and he might just be right.
1. Goodbye, Freesia

**_Death Extemporary_**

By keL-rebecca

Disclaimer: Weiss Kreuz is not mine, of course, because I wouldn't be able to write this fanfic in English that well if I were Japanese, don't you think? No offense whatsoever. It's just that Japanese is so cool that if I were Japanese I wouldn't use any other language. -

ONE

_It seemed more like a nightmare rather than a dream _

_For what ever the reason I could not possibly deem._

_But when I entered the door and cleared my eye_

_That's when I learned that it was really time to say goodbye._

An unknown sound shook him back to reality. Checking the digital clock on top of the wooden side table, he realized that he had only been sleeping for a few hours, hours that helped him not in getting back his energy. Nevertheless, he pushed himself off of the bed and stretched his arms, yawning at the same time.

He got up from the most uncomfortable chair in the world to open the blinds. As the light of the bright morning sun streaked in to the room and made patterns on the vinyl floor, his eyes moved to the bed a few feet away from the window. He approached it. There lay a young man whose face was as angelic as could be. His chestnut brown hair remained, though unusual for someone sleeping, neat and seemingly untouched. His skin gave a yellowish radiant glow when the rays hit him softly. Indeed, at that very moment anyone could've fallen in love with him.

Including the man who was staring at him intently.

His name was Hidaka Ken, and ever since he and his best friend Tsukiyono Omi met years back, he had loved him. At first it was a brotherly sort of love, one that wouldn't mistaken for anything more or less, but eventually the friendship opened Ken's eyes to the beauty that was Omi. All of a sudden he was noticing every single thing that the younger boy did and found them utterly adorable. A smile on his face would show up whenever Omi did. He couldn't sleep at night just thinking if Omi's still awake or not. In the morning he would always want to be the first to greet him "Good morning!" And during their missions he secretly watched out for Omi before anyone else, including himself. That's why he was the one who often went home with an injury, though his heart leapt for joy every time because Omi was the nurse among them.

It was strange for Ken to see Omi sick, as he was really strong in mind and in body. Unfortunately, he didn't have just any disease. Omi was horribly laid up because of their recent mission, which had caused him to acquire a deadly virus without a cure.

* * *

Five days ago, the group of Weiss was assigned to stop two corrupt officials from manufacturing viruses that was causing biological chaos in various parts of the city. Victims vomited whenever they ate or drank, bled profusely from the smallest cuts, had hard time breathing, and after a while died without warning. About twenty people have been infected. From that number eleven have died. 

The four members immediately went to the laboratory covered up as a factory right after Omi had located it. As usual they went around to kill the officials first as they were the masterminds. Fujiyama Aya and Ken were assigned to do the actual murder, while Kudo Youji and Omi went off to stop further production of the viruses by the assigned scientists.

"I'll distract them while you fidget with the machines, okay?" said Youji.

"Alright," replied Omi. "It might take a while since I'm not that familiar with the computers here, but just tell me if you need help, Youji-kun,"

"Oh sure. Take your time," Youji winked and brought out his weapon: wires. "It would be my pleasure to kill all these nerds who I believe have never gotten dates their entire lives,"

Omi chuckled and silently crept to the main computer while Youji moved to a higher position so he could watch out for guards and some scientists who were present in the room. Omi connected his laptop to the main computer and began to hack it. When asked for a password before any file could be opened, he thought of the viruses.

_Virus_, he thought and typed. Access denied. He pondered on it.

Meanwhile, Youji spotted two scientists headed Omi's way. He jumped on one and strangled him before the other could react. He did the same thing to the remaining scientist. He dragged their bodies by the legs behind several machines so as not to be noticed. In boredom he lit a cigarette.

"Hurry up, Omi," he whispered as he drew smoke out from his lips. "It's bad enough that there aren't any women here," He was proven wrong when a female scientist passed by on the far side of the lab without noticing him. "Oh yes, Science just may be my favorite subject from now on," He followed her close behind.

"Sheesh," said Omi. He had already typed a second password, and if the third weren't correct an alarm would surely be heard. "Let's see…Viruses, viruses. What do I know about viruses? Biological warfare…Biological weapons of mass destruction…Wait a minute…" Something came to mind, and when he was sure he typed it at once.

_SARS_, he thought to himself. _It was such a big biological threat that everyone feared. It's a perfect password. _Confident that it was the right one, he pressed the Enter key. A pause, and hundreds of information in code appeared on the laptop screen. _Yes! It worked! _He cracked his knuckles. "The rest is a piece of cake!" He said.

"Youji, Omi. Where are you?" Ken called in a soft voice. He and Aya were done with their share of the work and decided to find the other two. "Youji. Omi,"

"Hey Ken. I have a riddle for you," said Aya out of the blue.

"We don't have time for riddles, Aya!" scolded Ken.

"This won't take long. What single perverted animal has an instinct of following members of the opposite sex around no matter how dangerous the situation is?"

"What the heck are you talking about? Have you been contaminated with the viruses?"

"The answer is Youji,"

"Huh?"

Aya pointed to two figures in the distance. One was walking with poise while the other seemed to be creeping up behind the former.

Ken sneered. "You make fine riddles, Aya,"

* * *

"Finally I'm done!" Omi cheered. He had shut down the main computer and so all functions in the laboratory that depended on it should already be cancelled. He disconnected his laboratory from the main computer and began to look for Youji and the others. As he was walking, he passed several glass-covered boxes that contained test tubes filled with different colored liquids. Some of them had stuff floating in them. Omi assumed they were the viruses. Another idea struck him. He figured that if the viruses were just left there and they blew up the factory, chances are that they would be released into the outside world. They had to be disposed of properly. Setting his laptop down, he lifted the glass and began to take out the test tube holders. 

Youji was about to follow the woman inside another room when a hand pulled him out of the scene. He saw that Aya and Ken had been trailing him and looked annoyed.

"Where's Omi?" asked Ken. "We thought we told you not to leave him,"

"He wasn't finished when I left," explained Youji. "But since you mentioned him, I think he should be done by now and needs to be fetched,"

"Let's go," Aya led the way. Youji directed them to the main computer where they found no one.

"Where did he go?" wondered Youji aloud. Seeing an angry look on Ken's face, he added, "I'm sure he's alright. He's not a kid, you know,"

"Even so! Let's split up and find him," said Ken. Aya turned to leave and so did Youji. Ken began to look in a different direction. He heard glass tinkling. He followed the sound, which led him to Omi. "Omi! There you are,"

"Ken-kun!" Omi sounded happy to see him. "Oh good you're here. You can help me. We have to get rid of these tubes. They're the viruses. I don't know if they're the finished ones but they're sure to cause harm no matter what state they're in,"

"Okay then. Ah, but we have to tell Aya and Youji, too. We can't get all these out of here just the two of us, you know. You wait here. Don't go anywhere," Ken ran off in a hurry.

Omi watched him disappear in a corner. Because he didn't want to waste time, he collected as many of the test tube holders as possible. He gasped when he heard footsteps. He grabbed some of the test tube holders, hid, and watched. Three scientists had arrived. One of them noticed the test tube holders on the floor.

"What the heck--?" he said. He motioned his companions to the holders. They were about to pick them up when all three of them were each hit in the throat by two of Omi's darts. They immediately collapsed, and one had managed to knock down some of the test tubes.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Omi. He rushed to the test tubes and tried not to touch the liquid as he saved the rest. Aya, Youji, and Ken arrived. They saw the mess and began giving Omi a hand. Youji found a box where they could place the holders. Aya carried it out of the laboratory.

Once they were far away from the factory, Omi took out his laptop. With the press of a button, the bombs he had set in the building were detonated. The whole place went on fire, and with it the bodies of the dead scientists, guards, and the masterminds. Ignoring the scene, they went to work in burying the box. Aya and Youji dug the hole while Ken checked if any of the liquids had spilled. Omi suddenly felt faint and went to rest against the bark of a tree.

"Are you okay, Omi?" asked Ken, worry apparent in his voice. Behind them, Aya and Youji were finishing up.

Omi gave a weak smile. "I feel fine, Ken-kun," he answered. "Maybe I've just been working too—" Omi felt a piercing headache that came out of nowhere and passed out in Ken's arms.

"Omi! Omi!" Ken called. "Youji! Aya! Something's wrong with Omi!" The other two ran towards them. Youji felt Omi's forehead. "Well?" asked Ken, who grew more concerned.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" was all Youji asked in reply. Ken's eyes widened. He didn't have a chance to react further. He carried Omi to Aya's car. All of them were silent as soon as Aya had accelerated. He was frowning and he didn't bother to slow down. In the backseat, Ken held Omi tight. The younger boy was flushed and his breathing was fast. Ken felt so helpless. He didn't know what to do. He hoped everything was going to turn out fine.

* * *

Omi was rushed to the Emergency Room. After several tests, the doctor said that he had to be confined. When asked what was wrong with Omi, he told them that he had the symptoms of the disease that's been spreading lately. Ken was the first to respond. 

"We were exposed to the viruses, too! How come he's the only one who got infected?" demanded Ken. He didn't notice that he was already shouting. Youji placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Ken took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Please, sensei," he said in a soft manner. "What's so different about Omi that the rest of us are still alright?"

The doctor nodded. "You see, the virus samples that were found in the victims were actually milder in effect compared to other viruses that have been recorded. They only affect a certain age group. Unfortunately, your friend is a part of that group, people who are 18 years old and below. Some of the victims get well, though, but one's recovery depends on the condition of his immune system. As of the moment, we are only giving your friend injections to help fight the virus. Other doctors have discovered that several medicines can worsen the condition of the patient because the virus feeds on them, which is what we're trying to avoid,"

"What can we do, sensei?" asked Youji. "We can't just sit here and wait,"

"Regrettably, that is all you can do right now," said the doctor with a grim look on his face. "Not much can be done. The worst situation would be if the virus your friend has were one of the incurable viruses. The possibility is small, but we have to expect the unexpected at this point," He excused himself and left them.

A nurse escorted them to Omi's room. Youji and Aya went in while Ken stopped at the door.

"Sir," said the nurse. "It's alright. Your friend will surely get better if he sees you, don't you think?" She smiled.

Ken sighed but went in anyway. The nurse pulled the door close. Aya and Youji were standing on either side of the bed. Ken stood next to Aya. He saw that Omi had a dextrose connected to his wrist and a heart monitor to his chest. He seemed peaceful enough. Still, Ken couldn't help it. A few hours ago he and Omi were in the flower shop having fun together, and now Omi was in a life-or-death situation. Tears welled up in Ken's eyes and quickly overflowed. He bent to embrace Omi as gently as he could and cried with his head buried in Omi's hair. In sadness he couldn't even call out his best friend's name. Aya and Youji looked at each other and silently agreed to leave them alone.

Ken couldn't stop crying. He loved Omi so much that he was willing to give up his life for him, but he couldn't use that willingness at all to save him given the circumstances. If only he could take the virus and place it in his own body so that he would be the one to suffer instead. If only he could exchange his soul for Omi's recuperation. If only he could be given the chance to say his true feelings towards him…

"Ken…kun…don't cry…" Ken stopped and felt Omi's arms envelop him weakly. He looked down and saw that Omi was awake. He looked weary, nevertheless awake. "I hate it…when you cry…so don't…"

Ken felt like he was going to burst. He could no longer control the tears. He was immediately exultant. He didn't let go of Omi. He never wanted to.

* * *

Someone entered the room. Ken stopped recalling and looked up. It was Aya. He had brought a bouquet of sunflowers; the ones that Omi said could lift anyone's spirits. Ken smiled. Aya hadn't been visiting too much as he was responsible enough to take care of the flower shop while Ken took care of Omi. It seemed that he had managed to convince Youji to stay. Or maybe he had convinced himself to give Youji such a big deal of a duty. 

"Good morning, Aya," greeted Ken. "Those flowers are lovely. Omi loves sunflowers, doesn't he?"

"He likes all flowers, but whenever I look at these it reminds me of him," said Aya. Though he said it in a slightly monotonous voice, Ken noticed a hint of unhappiness in his voice. "How is he?"

"He wakes up sometimes, but when he does he tends to vomit and have headaches," replied Ken sadly. "He tries his best not to make a mess. He keeps his mouth closed as soon as he feels like throwing up and waits for me to get a bucket," Ken laughed. "You should see his face when he does that. It takes a while to find a bucket around here, so when I come back his face is all green in disgust. Poor kid," He stroked Omi's hair. "I can see how much he wants to be healthy again. He doesn't like being taken care of,"

"Well of course. He's used to taking care of other people," said Aya. Ken nodded in agreement. He noticed that Omi's eyes were slowly opening.

"Good morning, Omi," whispered Ken. Aya had finished arranging the flowers in the vase and placed it back on top of one of the side tables. He was surprised to see Omi awake. "Hey Omi, Aya's here. Look,"

Omi blinked and turned to the other side of his bed. He smiled up at Aya, who blushed.

"What's wrong, Aya?" asked Ken.

"I-I just haven't seen his smile for a long time, that's all," answered Aya, still red. "Uh, I'll go get his breakfast," He walked out of the room at once.

"Is Aya-kun…not happy to see me?" wondered Omi aloud.

"Of course he's happy," Ken said with a grin. "I think he's so happy that he couldn't contain himself and had to leave so that we wouldn't see him jump for joy or something. You know how Aya is,"

Omi beamed. He slowly lifted his right hand and touched Ken's cheek. "Ken-kun, I've been meaning to tell you something…important,"

Ken gulped. Omi was plain beautiful, and the way he looked at Ken was breathtaking. "W-what is it, Omi?"

"Ken-kun," began Omi. "I want to tell you that I lo—" Abruptly, he stopped. His hand fell to his side and his eyes shot open completely. They dilated, and he began to pant, as if desperate for air.

"Omi!" shouted Ken. He hastily reached for the button on the wall behind Omi's bed to call a nurse. While he waited he held Omi, trying to keep him steady. He was already teary-eyed in confusion when a nurse and a doctor came. They hurriedly went to Omi and performed CPR. Aya went in to the room. Ken rushed to him, as he couldn't bear to see everything. Aya held the back of his head to prevent him from doing just that. The doctor repeatedly gave Omi CPR.

Ken's heart dropped when he heard an eerie continuous sound. He slowly turned to the direction where Omi was. There on the heart monitor, a straight green line flashed, and with it the horrible sound. It was the sound Ken desperately hoped never to hear.

It was the sound of death.


	2. Angel Stardust

_**Death Extemporary**_

TWO

_I saw my angel all covered in white._

_My angel had given me the most beautiful sight._

_At the same time my angel gave my heart a deep dive_

_Because a second ago my angel was still alive. _

Three weeks had passed, and yet Ken hadn't found it in his heart to accept that Omi was permanently gone. For the first week he had convinced himself that Omi had gone on a long vacation, but on the second week the truth sank in deep and refused to leave. From that time he began to skip meals, had a hard time sleeping, stopped working in the flower shop, and lost his voice as he wasn't talking at all. He seemed to always be in another world, some sort of Wonderland, where he could see Omi alone and the rest of the world was shut out.

Aya and Youji knew how unhealthy it was for Ken to let his depression get to him. They were distressed with Omi's death, too, but they didn't let it bother them. They understood Ken, however, because he and Omi had been best friends. Heck, they also knew about Ken's great love for Omi.

"He must be in so much pain," said Youji. "But dammit, he should still be acting like a normal human being, not like some freakish vampire or whatever," He looked at Aya, who was watering flowers. "He's gonna be the next one to die if this goes on,"

Aya paused for a while and thought. Youji was right. Omi was never gonna return, and if only in three weeks Ken was as miserable as a sloth being made to exercise, what more after a month, a year even? They had to do something. It would be wrong to wait for Ken to slip into total insanity and bring him to the mental hospital so that he would no longer be a problem.

"Where're you going?" asked Youji when Aya let go of the watering can and made his way up the stairs and into the place where their bedrooms were located. "Oh no. Aya!" He called, realizing what the other was up to. "Aya, don't!" He caught up to the redhead, who was already in Ken's bedroom. Youji went inside. Aya was standing beside Ken's bed. On the bed was the owner, staring up at the ceiling mindlessly.

"Get up, you asshole," demanded Aya in a forceful tone. "We've been patient with you all this time because we know how you feel, but enough is enough. You have to let go and move on with your life,"

Youji was amazed. Aya was usually a man of a few words. He wouldn't waste his voice not even to scold any of them. He usually resorted to violence without having second thoughts.

"I said get up!" repeated Aya, adding more seriousness to his voice.

Ken raised an eyebrow. He frowned, and rolled off the bed. He passed by Youji without saying anything. The other two followed him. He went to the flower shop, wore an apron, and started arranging some flowers.

"I'm amazed," said Youji with a grin. Aya acted like he didn't hear and went back to work. Youji shrugged and did the same.

* * *

Night arrived faster than usual. Ken was back in his room, and once more his single activity was to look up at the ceiling and daydream about his beloved Omi.

Ken thought Omi was a work of art, the most perfect one that God's hands could've produced. He was beautiful inside and out, and he was someone that was willing to love and be loved. To be best friends with him was superb, but to be his lover, to have him completely, was one dream Ken had that was bound to never come true. When Omi was alive, Ken often thought about confessing his love for him. Alas, at the same time he valued the tight bonds of friendship that held them together. He didn't want to have them cut. He was sure that if he told Omi the truth, their relationship would never be the same.

Closing his eyes, Ken remembered an incident when he had nearly kissed Omi. It was already midnight, and Ken was feeling thirsty so he went out of his bedroom to get a glass of water. On his way to the stairs, he saw that Omi's door was slightly ajar. He decided to take a peek to make sure that Omi was sleeping okay. Once inside the room, he stopped in his tracks.

Across him was Omi's bed, which was near the window. There was a full moon and it was shining down on Omi, who was sleeping soundly. He was simply flawless. By the way he slept, on his side while clutching a part of his blanket, he was as mesmerizing as any goddess could be. Ken didn't know whether to approach him or not because he didn't want to wake the sleeping deity. He decided to take a closer look anyway, so that even in his dreams he would be able to see him like that all over again.

Ken wondered if it would be possible to encounter someone as unblemished as Omi. When he was close enough to touch the younger man, he kept his hands to himself and quietly observed the other's beauty. He felt that if he took his eyes off of him he would suddenly disappear. He didn't notice that he was only a few inches from Omi's face. He was drawn to Omi's lips, which were looking more and more irresistible by the second. Ken parted his own as though ready to kiss his best friend.

As if by fate, Omi began to stir. Ken realized what he was doing and backed away. Omi didn't wake up, but Ken's heart was beating so fast that he was afraid it would burst out of his chest.

Ken allowed his eyes to be opened. He touched his lips, wanting desperately to go back in time and really kiss Omi. If only he had foreseen his best friend's death, then he would've long ago revealed his true feelings without thinking of the consequences. No matter if they stopped being friends or not, as long as Omi knew everything. It was hard to keep secrets from him, especially because he himself was very open with all of them.

The brown-haired man slowly got up. He went of his room and headed for Omi's. He saw that it remained untouched. The bed was still neat, and everything else was in order. Ken closed the door behind him. Every cell in his body was longing for Omi, and if there was one place that he was sure to be present it was in his room. Ken didn't bother to turn on the lights and slipped in between the sheets at once. He smelled Omi's shampoo when he buried his face in the pillows. He shivered for some reason, and he covered even his head with Omi's soft blanket. When sleep visited him, he experienced peace unlike any other.

* * *

After several days, Ken was feeling much better about Omi's death. He went back to normal and actually became more efficient in the workplace. He opened the flower shop even though it wasn't his turn, he ran most of the outside errands, and he greeted the customers with such cheerfulness that Aya and Youji suspected him of taking drugs that's why he was always so high-spirited. Ken laughed at their idea.

"I just figured that Omi wouldn't want to see me like this," he explained to them with a huge smile. "I don't want to think that he's dead; I believe that he's somewhere out there wandering. I'm going to keep on waiting for him to come back, and until then I'll keep myself happy everyday, just in case he comes back,"

Aya and Youji decided that even though Ken still had a bit of a cuckoo in the head, at least his emotional condition had improved.

"Here's the address, and the keys to my car," said Aya the next day. A customer had just called and was ordering a pot of Freesias. Ken was more than willing to volunteer, as the flowers were Omi's favorite kind. "Hurry back, will you? And try not to get into any accidents,"

"Okay," Ken replied. He carried the medium-sized pot to Aya's Porsche. He drove off and looked for the right house. He stopped in front of a huge gate. "Looks like we have a wealthy customer this time," He muttered to himself. He saw a small speaker beside the gate. He pressed one of the buttons. There was a beep, and a voice spoke at the other end.

"_Hello. Who is it_?" asked the stranger. Ken's heart skipped a beat. There was something about the person's voice that made him anxious. "_Hello? Is anyone there?_"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. Sorry," said Ken. "I'm from the Koneko flower shop. I'm here to deliver a pot of Freesias for a Mister…" He checked the piece of paper that Aya gave him. "…Mister Atari Yuuki. Would that be right?"

"_Someone will be down in a minute, Hanaya-san,_" continued the voice. "_Thank you so much for the Freesias. I absolutely love them. They're lovely, don't you think?_"

"Um, of course," said Ken, slightly amused. He swore he had heard the voice before. "My best friend loved them as well. He worked in the flower shop, too, and he had his own Freesias that he sold to no one,"

"_Oh that's wonderful!_" The person sounded genuinely excited. "_Do you think I could meet him someday?_"

Ken smiled sadly. "I'm afraid the answer is 'no'. He died almost a month ago," There was silence.

"_I'm so sorry about that, Hanaya-san,_" said the voice. "_I know how it's like to lose something. I've lost a lot in the past just like you, maybe even more. That's why I try to cheer myself up by doing things I like, for example planting flowers in our backyard. I don't know why I like gardening, but it gives me so much joy to see the beautiful blossoms opening. It's like I myself am a flower, and I know that if I don't open up my petals I'll never be able to see the sun and the sky and all the wonderful things this world has to offer. Think that way, too, Hanaya-san, and you'll be able to encourage yourself to lead a life without worry,_"

"Thank you for that," Ken was amazed at how moved he was at what the stranger said. It was almost as if he was talking to a friend he's known all his life. "Hey, you're Atari-san, aren't you? I'm Hidaka, Hidaka Ken,"

"_Just call me by my first name: Yuuki,_" replied the voice. "_Ken. I really like your name, Ken-san. I hope to be able to meet you again soon. You see, I can't come down. At least not right now. I had a fever last night and my parents told me to rest. Thank you so much for talking to me, though. I appreciate it. You seem like a very kind and friendly person,_"

Ken blushed. They had only been talking for a few minutes, and they were already on a first-name basis? The thought surprised him even more. "I'm glad to have met you, too, Yuuki-san. Thanks for the advice," The gate opened, and a maid appeared and bowed down, arms outstretched and with an envelope in her hand. Ken bowed down as well, took the envelope, and went to fetch the Freesias. When he handed the pot to the maid, he made one last ring to Yuuki.

"_Yes? Is that you, Ken-san?_" asked Yuuki.

"Yeah, it's still me," said Ken. "Feel better soon, okay? I have to go now. I have work to do. You can call me in the shop anytime, alright?"

"_Oh goodie!_" exclaimed Yuuki happily. "_You're such a sweetheart, Ken-san! I might even visit your flower shop sometime. Anyway, goodbye! I'll be well just for you,_"

"Good," And with that, Ken left. He couldn't take the smile off his face even after he arrived in the flower shop. Youji and Aya were curious as to why he had a goofy look on.

* * *

Back in the mansion where the customer named Yuuki lived, the maid entered a grand bedroom and set the pot down on the floor. She bowed down low, and exited through the wooden double doors.

Yuuki came out of his private bathroom with a bathrobe around his body and a towel on his head. As soon as he saw the Freesias, he was filled with delight. He approached the pot and knelt down to stroke the flowers. He took a sniff; they were fresh indeed. He lifted the pot to one side of the room before taking his shower. Ken the flower man came to his mind all of a sudden.

"He feels strange to me," he muttered to himself as he began to fill the tub with water. "It's like…we've talked before. Ah, but how could it be? I don't know anyone who works in a flower shop. This is insane. I…I like him, though," He grinned at the thought of Ken's voice. "I really, really like him…"

The tub was only half-filled when Yuuki took his robe off and got in. The water felt hot at first but became lukewarm after a short while, or it was probably because the boy had adjusted to the temperature. His cerulean eyes observed the ripples in the water. As he followed them carefully, he saw the scratches on his knees and the small wound on his wrist that looked like something had been injected there. He knew where the scratches came from, but what about the other wound? He ran a finger over it. It didn't hurt even a little. He still wondered how it got there, though.

When the water rose near the top of the bathtub, Yuuki reached for the tap, turning it off. He played for a while, splashing the cool liquid, washing his face with it, and drawing shapes that quickly disappeared on the surface. Then he stopped. He had no time. He had to go somewhere. So without hesitation, he sank in the water until only the top of his honey blonde hair was showing. After a minute, he rose and sucked in air gently.

He absolutely loved taking a bath before an important date.

* * *

"You still haven't told us what made you so happy a while ago?" said Youji for about the twentieth time. "And we still insist that it was one of the customers we had this morning, right, Aya?" He looked at the redhead, who looked up, gave him a neutral look, and went back to his book. "Nice talking, samurai nerd,"

"I have the right to remain silent, thank you very much," replied Ken, who still had a trace of the huge grin he had had all day. "And the right to be happy as well,"

Youji shrugged. Ken could be so stubborn sometimes, and there was nothing he could do to get him to spill the beans. Besides, if he had any other ideas, he was already feeling too lazy to carry them out. It was time to close the shop.

"Ah, before I forget…" interrupted Aya. Youji and Ken looked at him at the same time. He took some money out of his pocket and asked, "So which of you is willing, or will be forced to be willing, to get some groceries?" He raised an eyebrow at them. "We only have enough food left to last us until lunchtime tomorrow,"

"I'll do it!" said Ken with pleasure. His two companions were surprised once again. Before the good mood, now the volunteering without arguing with Youji was rather disturbing. There was something definitely wrong with Ken. "Do you have a list of what we need, Aya?"

"Here," answered Aya. "And because you decided to do this without being threatened, Youji will be the one to open the shop tomorrow instead of you,"

"What? That's unfair! I was late in volunteering, that's all!" complained Youji. "You're bias as hell, Aya,"

"Well, I'll be going now!" Ken removed his apron and replaced it with his coat. "I won't take long. See you later!" And with that he was gone.

Ken's sudden perky behavior was one mission the two remaining Weiss members couldn't comprehend.

* * *

The sky was such a beautiful sight when Ken looked up after leaving the grocery store. There was a full moon that glowed soft blue. The large clouds around it were perfectly outlined due to its light. Hundreds of small stars twinkled in the black background. There was hardly any wind so the picturesque scene could not be disturbed.

Ken wondered if Omi was up there looking down at him at that very moment. He even thought that maybe Omi was one of the stars, giving light to the darkness that he was experiencing due to the latter's death.

The brown-haired man wanted to observe the sky longer, but because he had strained his body not long ago due to severe depression he had to pay the price. His muscles began to grow limp, his breathing came in short puffs, and his vision blurred slightly. He tried to keep things together though he eventually collapsed on the ground. He closed his eyes for a moment just in case he passes out completely.

A shadow appeared before Ken. "What's the matter, mister?" It asked. Ken felt the gentlest hand touch his forehead. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I-I'm perfectly fine. This is just fatigue, don't worry," replied Ken, sounding almost drunk with the way he was talking. "But thank you for the concern. I…I just need to rest a bit,"

The hand moved to his cheek. "Are you sure? You seem pale. Here, drink some water," Ken knew he had a bottle near his lips, and out of gratitude he drank as much as he could. He was able to breathe normally again. "See? It works doesn't it?" Ken's vision began to adjust. "Would you like me to stay with you until you can already get up?"

"No, no. Please, I don't want to be a burden for a stranger," Ken began seeing doubles, and he first noticed the person's eyes. They were…black. No, blue, one of the bluest eyes Ken had ever seen. "I'm okay, I promise. Please go ahead. I'm feeling much better now," He began to stand up so as to show that he was telling the truth. He realized that the stranger was shorter than he was.

"Hmm. If you insist, then," said the man. Ken couldn't be mistaken. Although he thought the person was a girl at first, he realized that he couldn't possibly be with such a flat chest. "I'll be going now. I still have to meet someone. Goodbye, mister,"

Ken's eyes finally cleared as soon as the stranger had turned his back and was at the edge of the sidewalk. Ken observed him until he crossed the road. He was at the other side when a black car pulled up in front of him. He turned around, and Ken blinked a few times before looking again. "No way…" He said to himself. The person he had been talking to had honey blonde hair. He was slender and thin, and looked very young. He was talking to someone in the car. He laughed, causing Ken's heart to stop.

Ken couldn't be wrong. He couldn't be. He wasn't blind, nor was his vision impaired.

So why was he seeing Omi?


End file.
